Forget about CAP getting ABUs

[Earhart1971]

Jungle Fatigues were worn in the 70s, by some Seniors and Cadets in Florida Wing. We also had a Florida Wing Ranger School that operated out of Eglin with the Army Ranger School. I remember being on a Cadet Advisory Council Committee at Florida Wing, we  wrote a manual on how to do the tapes and badges on them.

I had a set of Jungle Fatigues as a Cadet, and they were great for Florida and the heat.

[Gung Ho]

I had a set of Jungle Fatigues as a Cadet, and they were great for Florida and the heat.

Thats the one thing we all need to remember. There is no one uniform that will work for all. The uniform that is great in the heat of Florida is not that great in the winters of Maine. CAP is going to get people talking what we should have or should not have but there is really no good reason for any kind of a camo uniform.  The only thing that even comes close is that kids think it's cool and that gets more cadets. The adults that still fight for them must have never grown up.

[cap235629]

Why not adopt an OD Green BDU for everyone? Readily available, not currently used by the military, harkens to our past, functional, rugged and has the tacti-kewl look cadets crave? I was a fan of Stonewalls proposal a couple of years ago of an OD green ACU but think we should go with a BDU cut uniform to mirror the cut of the ABU or Multicam uniforms the AF is adopting.

[HGjunkie]

I like it. I have one of these in my closet from my dad being in the Army, and they're pretty neat.

[vento]

^^^ A bit nostalgic, heh. 
A more contemporary version here.

[HGjunkie]

But I want the slanted pockets! 

[majdomke]

That's a Michigan Wing cadet in the pic wearing the black beret they authorized if you went to the survival school on Drummond Island. Cool, I remember this totally. Am I right NIN?

[HGjunkie]

LoL, NIN. 

[tsrup]

The adults that still fight for them must have never grown up.

Nice broad brush you've got there...

[SarDragon]

There is no one uniform that will work for all. The uniform that is great in the heat of Florida is not that great in the winters of Maine.

That's an interesting, but puzzling POV.

The military services don't seem to see it that way. We wear the same stuff in Florida and Maine, with the same additions allowable by CAP to increase warmth.

[a2capt]

Heh, but .. the all green look? Reminds me of Fidel Castro. ;-)

[PhoenixRisen]

Heh, but .. the all green look? Reminds me of Fidel Castro. ;-)

*recalling back to Hurricane Katrina*

I've heard stuffz (on this forum, I think) that HWSRN was confused as a [insert third-world country] military officer during said operation while sporting our BDUs.  I wonder what the results would've been like if he had been wearing OD fatigues...

[manfredvonrichthofen]

The uniform is one way of seeing us as part of the Air Force family. We need to be in the uniform of our parent service, it really does help in multiple ways. ROTC not JROTC... ROTC wears the uniform of their respective parent service with different accouterments to distinguish them. It helps The rest of the service to identify us as a part (yes we are a part of USAF family) of their service family. Without it, we would be looked at like... who are you again?

Not to mention if CAP wanted to get away from the USAF uniform USAF would want to get away from us. Without the USAF we would cease to exist. We are in reality funded by the Air Force, Squadrons get most of their individual funding themselves but as an organizational whole it's the USAF that gives us the funding to continue.

We have always, aside from the times of USAF changing them, been in the same uniform as the Air force. We went over to the new style of Dress uniform very shortly after USAF did, and that's the way it should be.

We are a part of the USAF family and we should present ourselves as such. Yes, I see the reasoning behind having the corporate alternatives, they allow us to have our very important and valuable members who are overweight. There is nothing wrong with those who don't meet height and weight standards wearing the corporate uniforms, we have very valuable members who wear them. Anybody who thinks they should not be allowed to be in Civil Air Patrol need not be here themselves.

We in Civil Air Patrol are a valuable asset, we perform missions that not many others are able nor want to perform such as; counter drug operations, search and rescue, and aerial recon. Were it not our association with the Air Force I would guarantee those thousand hours we flew in support of the Gulf Oil Disaster would not have been flown by us and USAF would have had to pull assets from their Active units that should be either deployed or readying themselves for deployment.

Were it not for being part of the USAF family we would not exist, and if we were not in USAF uniform the USAF wouldn't have us. I will continue to wear the USAF style uniforms until I no longer meet height and weight standards or am too old to be of use. If I do not meet standards, I will wear the alternative and do so proudly. There is nothing wrong with our uniforms. We only need to wait patiently until the USAF deems it's self ready for crossover to the current USAF uniform what ever it may be, multicam,  ABU, whatever it decides. Respect our organization, and respect our parent service.

[PhoenixRisen]

Without it, we would be looked at like... who are you again?

The sad part is, we already carry this trait (for the most part), and further taking away one of the biggest parts of our identity will simply multiply that by a ton.

[ZigZag911]

Return to the 'pickle suit'? Talk about a heritage uniform!

Works for me...

[SarDragon]

Eh, I'd have to lose about 20 pounds to fit my last set.

[manfredvonrichthofen]

Heritage is an important thing to keep. To revert to a uniform that is no longer made is neither practical nor cost effective. I know, we don't need to be camouflaged but we do need to stay with our parent service.

[cap235629]

I never said return too the pickle suit, I said switch EVERYONE to OD green BDU's which are readily available and curently being manufactured.

[HGjunkie]

Heritage is an important thing to keep. To revert to a uniform that is no longer made is neither practical nor cost effective. I know, we don't need to be camouflaged but we do need to stay with our parent service.

Blouse

Trousers

[vmstan]

Heritage is an important thing to keep. To revert to a uniform that is no longer made is neither practical nor cost effective. I know, we don't need to be camouflaged but we do need to stay with our parent service.

A good deal of people in the real Air Force don't need to be camouflaged either. Special ops, SP, etc, sure... your normal average everyday Airman working in the hanger? Probably not.

Don't even get me started about the Navy camo.

But I do suppose none of these people put on camo, and then a bright orange vest to be seen, either.